Headed into Dublin city about midday and for the first time in
just over two weeks I actually got wet - saturated in fact! Went to the
old
Kilmainham Gaol (1789-1924) for a tour. Very interesting and all the
more realistic that everyone was so wet and cold and feeling like convicts!

Totally unexpectedly (after yesterdays downpour) it was a brilliant blue day today,
so headed south to Enniskerry (County Wicklow) to see the
Powerscourt Estate and
Gardens (originally commissioned in the 1730's). A very impressive and
pretty garden/estate despite a lot of the flowers not being out yet, all with
the Sugarloaf Mountain in the background. Also had a look around the house
but not much to see as a lot was destroyed in a fire in 1974 and so not much in
the way of furnishings back in it yet.

Two dudes in Sandyford Village

Powerscourt Estate Gardens,
Sugarloaf Mountain in background

Powerscourt Mansion and Gardens

Japanese Gardens, Powerscourt

Powerscourt - The Japanese Gardens,
and a general view around the Estate

Next decided to go on the 5km walk to the Powerscourt
waterfalls, as no bus runs to it during the winter months. Was actually
quite a hilly 5km walk along narrow roads and the 5km was only to the gate of
the property where the waterfall is! It was a further 1.6km to the
waterfall itself and to add insult to injury it cost extra to get into the
property, AND it started raining!! Luckily the rain didn't last long and it
was quite a large and impressive waterfall. Took lots of photos to make
the walk worthwhile and then started the walk back as the sun started to
sink. Probably walked about 20km by the time I got back for dinner - my
legs just aren't used to that!

A Typical Country Lane - Walk to
Powerscourt Waterfall

Powerscourt Waterfall

Due to family commitments and being used to living
alone, I have been asked to move on by Jean and Dudley. Have to start
thinking about where want to go - not sure whether to stay in Dublin at this
stage because no luck with finding employment as yet (also everything is booked out over
St Patrick's week). A tad stressful to say the least!

Headed into town and because I was too late to catch
any of the organised tours, used public trains and buses to get myself to
Drogheda and then the Boyne Valley to view the
NewgrangeNeolithicPassage Tomb
(at the
Brú Ná Boinne Visitors Centre). This was built around 3200BC,
about 500 years before the great pyramids of Egypt. Very very interesting!

(another
set of tombs, Knowth, is only open during the Summer period - so I returned in
April)

Also had a look around Drogheda itself - Tour of Martello tower
on Millmount and the last gate remaining from the ancient city wall (St.
Laurence's Gate).

A couple of rainy days, so instead of siteseeing (or
job-hunting), were developing some plans for the next
few weeks!
Will keep trying to look for jobs online, but probably start a road trip to see
some of Ireland in-case end up having to return home in the next month or so.

Sun 9-Mar 03 Dublin [Overcast]

Moved out of accommodation with Jean and Dudley - went
into an expensive Central Dublin backpackers for the night. Had a look at St Audeon’s church wall (last remaining part of
the old Dublin city wall). Wandered around
Phoenix Park (700 ha) and
inside Ashtown Castle/Towerhouse.